SDSU earns renewal of prestigious classification for community engagement
SDSU is nation’s only university with unique combination of classifications for student opportunity, research and athletic prowess, and social impact.
San Diego State University has once again been recognized as a national leader in community engagement, earning renewal of its Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement for the 2026 cycle. The distinction, awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, affirms SDSU’s long-standing commitment to deep partnerships that strengthen the communities it serves across San Diego and through SDSU Imperial Valley.
In its notification of recertification, announced today, the Carnegie Foundation praised SDSU for demonstrating “excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.” SDSU first earned the classification in 2015 and the renewal is valid through 2032.
The Carnegie Foundation defines community engagement as “collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.” The purpose of the classification program is to enrich scholarship, teaching, and creative activity; prepare engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good.
Of the more than 4,000 universities and colleges nationwide reviewed by Carnegie, only 277 institutions received the Community Engagement designation this cycle, making SDSU part of a select group recognized for addressing societal challenges “with clarity and distinction.”
Additionally, SDSU ended 2025 as the only U.S. university to be simultaneously classified as a Community-Engaged Institution, R1 for research, NCAA Division I for athletics, minority-serving (HSI/AANAPISI) for broad opportunity, and as a Carnegie Opportunity University for a combination of broad access and strong future earnings for students.
“SDSU stands apart as a university that brings together an extraordinary range of recognitions and achievements,” said SDSU President Adela de la Torre. “Even more inspiring is that community impact isn’t just something we talk about at SDSU — it’s the heartbeat of our mission. Whether we’re co‑creating improvements in individual and community well‑being, addressing regional needs through groundbreaking research and workforce development, or generating billions in economic impact, our commitment to serving our community drives everything we do. That’s why this recognition resonates so powerfully with us.”
Unlike rankings or awards, the Carnegie Foundation’s elective classifications require institutions to present extensive, evidence-based documentation of systemic engagement practices. SDSU’s successful recertification acknowledged the depth of its partnerships — not as isolated projects, but as work embedded in the university’s mission and academic culture.
Community service
As examples, SDSU students and faculty contribute more than 350,000 service hours annually through clinical public health work, while SDSU’s Associated Students has raised more than $1 million to fight food insecurity through the annual Aztecs Rock Hunger campaign.
The latest Community Engagement reclassification required a significant multiyear institutional effort that began in June 2024. Input from contributors campus-wide was coordinated by the Office of Academic Community Engagement under the leadership of associate vice president Joanna Brooks and program director Amanda Fuller.
“At SDSU, we have a responsibility to our students and to our community, and being a force for good that community is central to our mission,” said Brooks. “Preparing our application for this recertification reinforced to me that we are not only enriching learning and research on our campuses, but also strengthening the social, cultural and economic vitality of the San Diego and Imperial Valley regions beyond.”
As a way to elevate and reward community engagement while also capturing the strongest case studies that demonstrate its institutional commitments, SDSU launched the Excellence in Community Engaged Learning (ExCEL) Awards during the 2024-25 academic year.
Among the eight award finalists were programs in San Diego providing care for the hearing health of marginalized farmworkers, tutoring foster youth, transborder development and sustainability, climate education and community leadership. In Imperial Valley, one finalist program supported evidenced-based improvements for public safety while another created a mobile clinic for diagnosing autism in children.
The winner of the inaugural ExCEL Award was a program called Project for Sanitation Justice, led by Megan Welsh Carroll, professor of Public Administration and Criminal Justice in SDSU’s School of Public Affairs. Each year, Carroll leads four faculty and more than 60 students from SDSU and SDSU Imperial Valley in research and advocacy for safe, free and equitable access to water, sanitation and hygiene resources across San Diego and Imperial Counties.
“Community engagement is really what makes SDSU stand out in our region," said Carroll. “I am proud to work with colleagues and students at SDSU who are passionate about connecting with and giving back to our communities, whether within our university or across the regions we serve.”
